'TV shows like 24 don't get ratings because they are classy'

'TV shows like 24 don't get ratings because they are classy'

Television actress Manini Mishra talks about her newest project, her varied interests and what exactly is happening in the Indian TV scene.You may remember watching actress Manini Mishra in hit TV serials like Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahi, and films including Krrish and Fashion.

She plays a strict police officer in her new stint on popular television show Diya Aur Baati Hum.

Manini discusses her new television project with Rediff.com's Rajul Hegde.

You play a police officer in your latest TV show, which is quite different from the characters you have portrayed before.

As an actress, I like to push my boundaries. I enjoyed this role as it is diametrically opposite to who I am.

As a person, I am affable, always laughing, so it was a challenge to play somebody this strict.

In fact, I was so happy with the look that I thought of cutting my hair short.

'People who don't have the time to watch TV are actually the ones with better IQs'

A confession of a teenager was the concept I was working on with somebody and when I saw that on TV, I was very happy. I like to watch crime-based shows.

How has television changed over the years?

It has changed radically in terms of people, economy, dynamics and content.

Some shows have definitely changed for the better while some have gone down the drain completely.

I don't understand one thing: why keep denying the fact that people want to see something new?

Let's just face facts that people want to see something different. Unfortunately, the television viewing audience -- the population that has time to watch television -- has a certain IQ.

The ones who don't have the time are actually the ones with better IQs. So what happens is, unfortunately, if you put a serial like 24 on air, it doesn't get ratings because it's classy and urban, it's something that people don't connect with.

I understand that 90 per cent of people live in small towns and 10 per cent live in big cities, but how come we are not being catered to?